BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

The teenager shrugged. “He had that sexy Irish accent, you know? But I think Mom must have sensed he was up to no good. Back then it was my job to deliver clean sheets and towels to everyone’s room every week, but she made sure she delivered them to Rooney and Tanya, not me. Come to think of it, she acted weird around Tanya too. But maybe that’s because she was worried her asshole boyfriend might get too friendly with her.”

“You’re talking about Chuck?” Letty asked.

Isabelle shuddered. “That old dude was totally sketchy. The day she kicked him out of our place was the happiest day of my life.”

“Joe told me a little bit about their scam, and how when the police came to arrest them, Chuck and Rooney were gone, along with the money and gold coins and jewelry,” Letty said. “Were you around when that happened?”

Isabelle shook her head. “No. I don’t remember where I was, just that when I got home, there were all these cop cars in the parking lot, and all the regulars were standing around, trying to figure out what was going on. Mom made me go up to the apartment, but I was looking out the window when they brought Tanya out in handcuffs. It was so messed up, you know? Rooney and Chuck took off and your sister ended up in jail.”

“But not for long,” Letty mused. “Somehow, she talked her way out of it. The cops dropped all the charges.”

“I didn’t know that,” Isabelle said. “Mom never talks about Chuck around me. I think she’s embarrassed that she fell for his bullshit.”

“And nobody has any idea where the two men went?”

“It’s not something Mom would ever discuss with me,” Isabelle said with a shrug. “And Joe thinks I’m still a little kid. He never tells me anything.”

“They’re trying to protect you,” Letty said, reaching out and tugging at Isabelle’s ponytail. “Be glad you have a big brother and a mom who cares. Tanya and I never had that. All we had was each other. And now she’s gone.”

“But you’ve got Maya,” Isabelle pointed out. “Hey Letty, couldn’t you just call the cops in New York and tell them what happened? How it was Evan that killed her, not you?”

Letty ripped a plastic bag from the large roll on the table. She placed a set of sheets, four bath towels, two face towels, and two washcloths on a stack, then slid them into the bag and knotted it.